Using my soapbox for a second… Support the ENDA.

Posted on June 30, 2009 by achernow

Hey All… Allow me to step up onto this soap box here for a second. Ok, there we go.

There’s an important piece of legislation that has been introduced into the House of Representatives. It’s officially called “H.R. 2981: To prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity” but most people will know it by its short title, “Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009.” It’s currently in committee, so there may or may not be much that you can do, depending on your Representative’s committee assignment. HOWEVER, please do call or write your Representative anyway and show them that you support the bill.

Now.. You’re probably wondering, what all this bill does, and asking “wait, aren’t those groups already protected under current discrimination laws?” Well to answer the second question first, it’s a simple, No, they’re not. So yes, if you do not live in one of the states that has a local ENDA, you can be fired for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Stupid, no? Join The Impact has a good summary, too, as to what this bill does:

ENDA will add sexual orientation and gender identity to pre-existing employment non-discrimination laws. ENDA is such a common sense idea that most people believe it is already illegal to fire someone for being Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender. While there are already 12 states and 100 localities that protect 40 percent of the population, millions are still at risk.

This is an important bill that needs to pass, and is going to require pressure from constituents to make sure that Representatives (and in the future, Senators, though nothing has been introduced there yet,) to pass it. Oh, one other important point….any version that passes needs to be INCLUSIVE to all, as it stands right now. A similar bill had been introduced to the last Congress, however, it only covered sexual orientation, and not gender identity, which is something that also needs to be on the list of protections. (And no, gender identity is not the same as sexual orientation, but that is beyond the scope of this post.)

Anyway, here’s some links for you to find out more information:

Text of the bill
Act NOW to support ENDA!
UnitedENDA
President Obama’s support for the bill

*steps off soapbox*

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My thoughts on “Dating Question: What Is a Man?”

Posted on April 11, 2009 by achernow

So Jessica twittered a link to an article on Yahoo: “Dating Question: What Is a Man?”. I’m reading the article and the first thing that comes to my mind is “hmm… this just seems like it’s going to be one of those strictly stereotypical views on the subject.” Honesty, it is and it isn’t. So let’s break it down. As bad of an example as I may be, let’s compare myself to this article.

  • Strike one. I don’t carry cash. Well, sometimes I do, but I prefer to use my debit card. It’s for the simple reason of having less cash on you means that there’s less chance of losing it. And really, by using the card you kind of have to think “can I really afford this?” Yeah I know, not the first thing you’d expect to hear, because you know, “I’m a man, men make money, blah blah blah.” I don’t make that much money. It has to be rationed accordingly. Why do you think I drive a *gasp* base model Toyota and don’t have all the flashy new toys?
  • Strike two. I can’t build or repair shit. Well.. I can build a computer. And I can fix one. But other than that, I’m sort of lost when it comes to the whole “use of tools” that society has deemed I should know. Last time I tried to hang something it ended up being crooked. And to borrow a line from my grandmother, I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler.
  • And wow, I strike out for the third time, right in the opening paragraph of the article. I can’t ever find anything good on TV. Really, it’s why I don’t watch TV. Wait, what? This coming from the guy who makes his living off, um, TV. No seriously, outside of Dollhouse, Legend of the Seeker, Ghost Hunters and The Simpsons, I really don’t watch TV.
  • Crap. This is where I run out of strikes. I guess.. Because seriously? Kung-fu? I don’t do kung-fu. I have no desire to kung-fu.
  • And I’ve never bought “a man is his job.” Yes, I consider myself a television production expert, a newscast director, editor, etc. but those are all career related terms. I’m don’t consider myself to be some sort of domestic diva when I’m cleaning around here. Nor do I even claim to be some sort of race-car driver when I cruising down the Beltline.

On the plus side I can cook eggs. And I’m more than happy to spread knowledge, espcially when it’s related to geeky things, or on the correct ways to make TV. Honestly, at work I’m more than happy to answer the questions the interns have, even as wild of questions as they may be sometimes. I’ve known people in the past who would rather not have anything to do with them.

486 words just off the intro to the list? Crap.

(more…)

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,